A Christian Explanation of a Heathen World.

Month: September 2016

In respect to the idea of demons, spirits, and other such things: they exist.

There are an unimaginable amount of spirits roaming around this world. Some are good, some are neutral, and some are very wicked. In regards to the wicked spirits, there are seven that have immense power and have been worshipped since the time of the Old Testament. I’ve taken to calling these seven the “Earth Spirits.”

The two most prominent (besides Satan), are Baal and Ashtoreth:

Baal – the spirit of anger, hate, and sacrifice.“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people” (Numbers 22:41).

Ashtoreth – the spirit of lust and desire.“For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites” (1 Kings 11:5).

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.”

Far be it from me to judge anyone, but there has been a serious moral shift in the last few decades that is only getting worse. The reason I write this is to discuss the phenomenon of “social comparison,” by which I mean the act of measuring your goodness to the goodness of those around you.

The fact is, unless you find yourself head and shoulders above the average person, you are likely living in sin. This is because the bar for “average” is set so low. These days, so long as you don’t rob, rape, or murder, you’re considered normal. The fact is, though, that our society revels in sin.

Take premarital sex, for instance. The only instance where intercourse is considered undefiled is in marriage: “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). Yet, more adults in our society have had premarital sex than haven’t. My point with this is not to judge (consider Mary Magdalene), but to point out that this behavior is not only allowed in our society, but upheld as a human right.

As Christians in a heathen world, we have to rise above the “average” person. We have to resist temptation and chasten ourselves to be better servants and workers. It’s not easy, but the payoff is more than worth the trouble.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).